Pregnancy is difficult enough on its own. Growing a human, hormones all over the place, morning sickness, and endless physical changes—it’s a lot to handle.
For this woman, it was even tougher because she also suffers from hypoglycemic episodes, or low blood sugar, which became much worse during pregnancy. To cope, she kept emergency snacks on hand for when the symptoms hit.
So you can imagine her frustration when, one day, those snacks were gone—eaten by her husband since they were the easiest thing to grab. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she blew up at him. Now she’s asking Reddit: did she overreact?
In the middle of a low sugar episode, the woman went to grab her emergency snacks she had set aside for that very moment
Image credits: Bizon / freepik (not the actual photo)
Instead, she found they’d all been eaten by her husband
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: kroshka__nastya / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: EyeEm / freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: pregnant-and-tired
Why people resist changing their habits, even when it hurts the relationship
Image credits: DC Studio / freepik (not the actual photo)
One of the hardest parts of being in a relationship is when you tell your partner something they do is upsetting, they nod along, maybe even promise to stop, and then go right back to doing it.
That’s exactly what this woman was dealing with. She had explained to her husband many times that her emergency snacks were off-limits because she needed them for hypoglycemia episodes, especially during pregnancy. Yet time and time again, he still ate them.
It’s a very common issue and something many couples struggle with. At the root of it is the fact that people often find it extremely difficult to change their habits or behavior, even when they know it matters.
Carol Simmons, PhD, LCSW, a psychotherapist at Kaiser Permanente, told Verywell Mind that “change can be a scary word for many people. It’s a difficult topic and should be managed with great sensitivity.”
The problem is, when a partner doesn’t follow through after you’ve raised an issue, it creates frustration and resentment. Over time, it can even wear down the closeness in your relationship. And honestly—when it’s about health, not just food, who wouldn’t be upset?
So what can help when you feel stuck in this cycle?
According to Verywell Mind, the first step is remembering you can’t control your partner, you can only control how you respond.
If you’ve had the same fight over and over, try a different approach. That might mean being very clear about how serious the issue is, or deciding you won’t rehash the argument endlessly and stepping away instead. Sometimes even small changes in how you react can shift the conversation.
Experts also point out that it helps to put things into perspective. Simmons recommends rating the problem on a scale from 1 to 10 to figure out whether it’s something you can compromise on or if it’s a deal-breaker. In this woman’s case, her health was at stake, so her anger made perfect sense, and it’s something that should be communicated that way.
Dr. John Gottman, clinical psychologist and founder of the Gottman Institute, says that how couples communicate about uncomfortable topics often predicts whether the relationship will last.
His advice is to bring up the things that frustrate you in a non-confrontational way and not when you’re both stressed in the moment. Instead, find a time when you can actually have a productive conversation. He also notes that it helps to frame your words so your partner hears more about what you do want, rather than only what you don’t.
At the end of the day, if your partner is willing to listen and try, there’s usually a way forward. But if they keep brushing it off, especially when it involves your health, you may need to think seriously about what you’re willing to tolerate.
In the comments, the woman clarified that her husband is caring in every other aspect of their life
Still, readers agreed her reaction was justified and stressed that he needs to take her health concerns more seriously
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